Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC)

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Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC)

• Skopje, Macedonia

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How I Found My Internship

• Nov 2002 Spoke to someone at NYC career trip
  panel who suggested ISC might match my current
  career interests
• Early March 2003 Sent unsolicited cover letter
  and resume to Country Director at Skopje office
• Early April 2003 Received offer to work at ISC-
  applied for Luce internship funds
• June 2, 2003 Off to Macedonia.

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ISC

• Organizational mission To help communities
  around the world address environmental, economic,
  and social challenges to build a better future
  shaped and shared by all.
• ISC opened office in Skopje in 1995 to conduct
  the USAID-funded Democracy Network Program.
  Project will close at end of 2004.
• The Macedonian office supports civil society
  organizations working on
• Economic Issues/ Policies/ NeedsWomen's issues/
  needs /Social Needs / PoliciesEnvironmental
  Problems / PoliciesNeeds of the CSO sector as a
  wholeIssues of Inter-ethnic Cooperation
•               

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Internship Project

• Evaluated 11 Community Action projects that
  developed Local Environmental Action and
  Community Action Plans.
• Tasked to both evaluate specific projects and
  evaluate the model used for these projects.
• Also researched scavenger cooperatives in support
  of new ISC project being developed in Skopje Roma
  community

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Project Sites
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Most Commonly Identified Environmental Problems
in Macedonia

• Quantity and quality of drinking water
• Solid waste (illegal landfills)
• Lack of wastewater systems